The more tight ends get tagged, the more the Giants and Jets could be left playing hide-and-seek for starters.

A robust free-agent market for tight ends took a hit Monday when the Browns franchise-tagged David Njoku ($10.9 million), and it could be watered down further if the Dolphins tag Mike Gesicki and Cowboys tag Dalton Schultz, which was the consensus among league sources at the NFL Scouting Combine. A new buyer also entered the market when the Colts lost starter Jack Doyle to retirement.

Flush with about $38 million in cap space, the Jets are expected to compete at the top of the market under the adage that a good pass-catching tight end is a young quarterback’s best friend. Suddenly, the best options are less appealing: Zach Ertz no longer playing at a Pro Bowl level, the inconsistent hands of Evan Engram, one-year starter Gerald Everett, C.J. Uzomah off of a knee injury in the playoffs, and Tom Brady-less future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski as long as he doesn’t retire again.

The Jets’ revolving door at tight end includes six different players who led the position in catches for them over the past 10 seasons, no first-round pick since 2008 and no Pro Bowlers since 1988.

The Giants cut Kyle Rudolph for $5 million salary cap savings, could lose Engram to a higher bidder and could cut Kaden Smith (chronic knee injury) for further cap relief. While the door isn’t shut on Engram’s return if his market is tempered, sources say, the Giants could need to replace the top three on the depth chart without spending big.

One direction could be to pair a receiver-first tight end from the middle rounds of the draft with an unheralded block-first veteran.

“It’s a pretty good tight end draft,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said. “There’s no [stud like] Kyle Pitts, but there is a ton of depth.”

Panthers head coach Matt Rhule contacted former Giants head coach Joe Judge to gauge his interest in the special teams coordinator vacancy on his staff before Judge landed with the Patriots as an offensive assistant, according to a source. Giants special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey went a step further and interviewed for that job under Rhule before he was retained by new head coach Brian Daboll.

Rhule originally was the favorite to be head coach of the Giants in 2020 before he signed a seven-year, $60 million contract with the Panthers, and the Giants turned to Judge.

The Giants are expected to move on from free-agent fullbacks Eli Penny (after four seasons) and Cullen Gillaspia, according to a source. The thought is to acquire a tight end who offers H-back flexibility.

Ben Wilkerson is changing teams, not addresses. After four seasons as the Giants assistant offensive line coach, he was hired to the same position by the Jets, as first reported by ESPN.